Bomb squad pressed into service in KIA

‘Police were not involved in checking vehicles since BIAL has its own bomb detection experts’

May 06, 2014 11:40 pm | Updated 11:40 pm IST - BANGALORE:

The bomb squad at the Kempegowda International Airport was pressed into service on Tuesday after an alert from the police about a vehicle laden with explosives possibly being used for an attack.

The alert came to the airport operator Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) from the airport police and the bomb squad had been deployed to check vehicles parked in the parking area as well as arriving vehicles, a source in BIAL said. Security has been tightened at the airport.

“The police were not involved in checking of vehicles since the BIAL has its own experts in bomb detection,” the source said.

It is learnt that the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has put all airports in south India on high alert for a possible attack by terror groups.

The source said that it was a general alert and the airport authorities had also been alerted. “The alert mentions of a possible attack on the airport using vehicle laden with bombs and hence we have stepped up vigil,” the source said.

Asked if the alert came in the light of the blast in Bangalore-Guwahati Express in Chennai Central Railway Station on May 1, the official said the alert they received did not mention the blast.

A senior official in Central Industrial Security Force, which is responsible for airport security, did not comment.

Joint Commissioner (Law and Order – West) S. Ravi denied rumours that he received a call regarding the threat to the airport.

“After the recent blast at the Chennai Central Railway station, routine checking at the airport has been intensified. This additional checking may have raised suspicions about a threat at the airport and thus been misinterpreted.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.